Does Your Mattress Affect Your Dreams?

William Shakespeare wrote in his play The Tempest, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” Dreams have been the inspiration for many plays, books, movies, poems, works of art, and even inspired world-changing events. But for dreams to happen, you first must sleep, so one must wonder; does your mattress affect your dreams?

What Are Dreams?

Dreams are stories, thoughts, feelings, and images that occur in our mind while we sleep. They can be entertaining, romantic, frightening, and/or bizarre. Generally, dreams are involuntary, can often involve aspects or people the dreamer encounters in their waking life, and can provoke strong emotions.

There is still much debate among scientists and sleep experts why, exactly, we dream. Some believe it’s the brain strengthening memories while others say it’s the brain processing emotions or clearing away unnecessary information. Still others believe dreams have no actual purpose and are simply incidental brain activity.

When Do We Dream?

Dreams can occur during all stages of sleep. However, your most vivid dreams typically happen during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. This is when brain activity is high and is similar to being awake. This stage accounts for between 20-25% of our total sleep time. Sleep experts say that we dream at least four to six times a night, even if we don’t remember 95% of our dreams by the time we get out of bed.

Your Mattress and Dreams

Dreams depend very heavily on you being able to sleep. Dreaming is completely normal, but there are some who don’t dream. Occasionally, this isn’t a sign of negative health issues. However, quite often a person doesn’t dream because they aren’t sleeping well. If you’re regularly not having dreams and still waking up tired each morning, this is a sure sign you’re not sleeping well. This could be because of a health issue like insomnia or sleep apnea, or it could be as simple as not getting enough restful sleep due to an uncomfortable mattress.

If your mattress causes you physical discomfort, naturally your sleep is affected. This makes it much harder to reach that REM cycle where you most commonly dream. The reasons why can vary – not the proper level of firmness, the mattress is sagging due to being at the end of its life cycle, too hot, or motion transfer from your bedmate.

So sweet dreams are made of comfortable mattresses. Therefore, it’s important to invest in a quality mattress that supports your body and sleeping position. Your mattress also shouldn’t exacerbate any physical issues you might have, such as back and joint pain or sleep apnea.

We may not know why we dream, but we do know that dreams serve as inspiration to many, and to get them, you need a good night’s sleep. To get that good night’s sleep, you need a quality mattress that will carry you to dreamland every night and allow you to wake up refreshed. If you’re finding yourself not dreaming and waking up tired, invest in a new mattress that offers the support and comfort you need.